The Afternoon Apathy Syndrome

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the afternoon, pulled out a chattai from under his desk—and revived miraculously half an hour later, to bore us again.

Sleep researchers have found that our mood and performance decline mid-afternoon due to a biological need to sleep, especially in hot countries like India, where sweat and heat stress builds up, leaving you craving a siesta. Plus, many of us are anyway sleep-deprived to begin with.

A nap is the pause that refreshes. You don’t have to do it in bed and you don’t even need to actually sleep. Simply slouch in an easy chair, kick off your shoes, loosen your tie and switch off for about 15 to 20 minutes, trying not to think of anything at all. Avoid sleeping any longer than that, though, or you’ll end up feeling sapped instead. This could be one of the smartest ways to get a high-energy return in a minimum amount of time. You lose a few minutes but you gain back several hours. A friend says he “disappears” into his car every winter afternoon, where he keeps a cushion and a blanket handy-and returns to office feeling like a new person. “After a nap, it’s like a new day starting,” he says. “I can then go on late into the night if I have to.”

When the post-lunch slump strikes, forget ordering a 25th cup of coffee. A power nap can help much more. Doesn’t matter if you don’t fall asleep. Just “shut down” for a few minutes. And if anyone taps you on the shoulder, smile sweetly and say: Shop is closed for the next half hour, the owner is out.

Then remind them that it’s good for business.